From the beach to the woods
by Joan the demigod wizard
Summary: My OC being sent to Mount Horizon. I'm sure many, many people have written this, but this is my take. And I rated it T, because of swearing later on.


_**(A/N/: Hey everyone! I had to take a little break from my Glee fics. I'm at a total writer's block for all three of them. I know how I want them to end, but the inbetween stuff is what I'm stuck on. So, in trying to get over that, I starting writing this fic for Higher Ground. I have been toying around with the idea for many years now, and finally decided that it was time to put it up for everyone to read. And wow! This is a long AN. I normally don't make them this long. Guess I had a lot to say thing time. Moving on now. Please review, favorite, and follow! Thanks everyone! And I hope you like this story.**_  
_**One last thing, when I wrote this up, it turned out to be four pages long! I believe that is my longest chapter to date! Yay for me! Word count for the story – 2415. And for everything – 2619.))**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Higher Ground, or any of the characters mentioned on the show. I just own Sunny, and Dave, and maybe anyone else you don't know.**_

_**Chapter 1: I don't mind trees, but I want the beach!**_

* * *

Sunny pushed her dark blue sunglasses down and looked over the top of them. All she could see was trees. Trees everywhere! And as much as she loved being outdoors, and away from her mom, she wasn't happy. She was happiest when she was at the beach. She sighed and pushed her shades back up. She still didn't really understand why she was being shipped off, but she wasn't going to complain. Only because she was far away from her mom.

**"Sunny?"** Dave said.

His voice brought her out of her thoughts. She turned her head, and pushed her long dark brown hair out of her face. **"What Dave?"** The first words she had said all day. That was different for the normally bubbly talkative young female.

**"I just wanted to let you know that we are almost there."** He pointed to a small gravel drive way. **"Right down there is the school."**

Before she could reply, they were turning down the driveway. She looked around as Dave drove up, stopped and parked.

**"She sent me to the middle of nowhere…"** Sunny muttered, opening the door and slipping out of the cab of the truck. **"I can't believe it."**

She was wearing worn out (slightly) faded black long shorts, that ended just below her knees, with black knee high socks (with rainbow hearts all over), a pair of light blue high top converse, a light blue tee shirt with a neon green heart right in the center. She had on a dolphin choker and another chain that was tucked under her shirt. On her left ear she had in six earrings, and on her right ear she had five earrings in. She also had several bracelets on both wrists, and three rings on her left hand and four rings on her right hand.

With help from Dave, she grabbed her two large duffle bags, and backpack. The two looked around, wondering where they needed to go, just as a door on one of the buildings opened and an older male walked out with a smile on his face.

**"Rebecca Secret?"** He called out, as he walked over.

She wrinkled her nose. **"I would rather be called Sunny, sir."** She said, as she sat down her backpack and held out her left hand.

The male nodded and shook her hand.** "Well Sunny welcome to Mount Horizon. I'm Peter Scarbrow. Please, just call me Peter."**

She nodded. **"Where do I need to go?"** She asked, looking around.

Dave stepped up then and shook Peter's hand.** "I'm Dave Tensen. A friend of Sunny's."** Peter nodded and looked at the female.

**"The building I came out of. That's where you need to go for your admit."**

She nodded, turned and gave Dave a hug. Peter stepped away a few steps, to give them some time to say good bye. They said a few things quietly to each other and Sunny nodded her head a couple of times. With one more hug she slipped off her dolphin choker, handed it to Dave, slipped on her backpack, grabbed her two duffle bags and followed Peter.

Dave waited until she was inside the building before getting back in his truck, and driving off. He knew who she wanted to have her choker.

**"I have to go through your bags, to make sure you aren't bringing in any drugs, or have anything that could harm yourself or someone else."** He didn't like that part of his job, but there was no way around it.

**"Whatever."** She said, as she shrugged her left shoulder.

They walked into the admit building and headed down the hall, and into a room with just a table and a chair in it. No windows.

**"Tell me not every room is like this."** Sunny said, taking off her shades and looking at Peter.

**"Every other room has windows. This is just the admit room. So we don't need much in here."** Peter replied as he pointed to the table. **"Please place your bags on the table and take a seat in the chair. Is there anything in the bags I should know about before I start my search?"** He put on a pair of gloves as he looked at Sunny.

The female sighed (for the third time in an hour) and sat her three bags on the table. **"No. I don't have drugs in them, or even booze. I have a few razors, so I can shave my legs and such. I think that's about it, unless there's other things you don't allow here."** She turned the chair around, so the back was facing Peter and sat down. She rested her arms on the back of the chair and stared at Peter.

**"We'll see as I go through your bags. As I do this, I'm also going to go over the rules with you. You can tell me if you don't understand a rule at any time. I'll stop and we can go over it again." **

**"Sure."**

Peter started going through her bags as he spoke. **"We have simple rules here at Horizon. No drug use. No harming yourself, or others. No fighting. And no inappropriate touching."** He pulled out her laptop, the charging cord for it, the charging cord for her cell phone, and her IPOD. **"I'll need your cell phone as well. And please empty your pockets on the table. I am also going to have to ask you to take off all your jewelry."**

**"You don't miss a thing, do you Peter?"** The young female stood up, handed over her phone, and turned her pockets inside out. All that was in them was a couple pairs of ear buds, an MP3 player, and the charging cord for the MP3 player. Removing all her jewelry was another matter. That took her several minutes.

**"I try to keep everyone safe here."** He said with smile as he collected all the things and put them to the side. He then sniffed her shampoo and conditioner, just to double check. He sat the razors and shaving cream to the side, along with all the electronics and her large amount of jewelry and put everything else back in the bags. **"You are able to earn back your music and laptop. Just don't get in trouble."**

**"Why don't I get my shaving cream? Don't tell me someone could get high off of it."** Her voice was slightly shocked with the last ten words she spoke. **"I wouldn't believe that."**

**"No, that's not the reason. Would you rather have the shaving cream, but not the razors?"**

Sunny sat back down, crossing her arms over her chest and shook her head.

**"You also need to have a physical. I can have Sophie walk you over if you want."**

**"Why do I need that? You have my medical records right there. I just had a check up not even a month ago."** She countered.

**"Because, it is all part of being admitted into Horizon."** Peter kept his voice calm.

**"I don't care who walks me over."** She answered, with a wave of her left hand.

**"Is there anything you want to tell me before we head over to medical then?"** He asked, as he sat on the edge of the table.

**"Well,"** She began as he pulled out a small sliver chain out from under her tee shirt and held it out to Peter.** "It's a spare copy of my daddy's dog's tags. I never take them off."** Peter nodded as she slipped them back under her tee shirt. **"I also have quite a few tattoos."**

**"How many?"** He asked.

She didn't answer right away. Her dark brown eyebrows knitted together as she thought about it. It took a couple of minutes for her to answer. **"Ummm, I'm not totally sure. I've never counted them before."**

He nodded his head again.** "Okay. Just tell me where they are and I'll keep count."**

She nodded, took a deep breath and started.** "I have a purple starfish on my right hip. A dolphin on the left side of my rib cage. An empty cage with the door open on the right side of my rib cage."** She paused to think of the others, and take another deep breath.** "I have music notes on the inside of my right wrist. There's a humming bird drinking out of a morning glory on my left shoulder blade. A surfboard on my right lower calf. I also have Harry Potter glasses and the lighting bolt behind my left ear. And I have No Day But Today on the inside of my left arm. An old fashion looking key on the back of my right ankle."** She paused again, going over the list in her head, and counting them off on her fingers. "A rainbow with two small white clouds on the top of my right foot. Three shooting stars on my left hip. And the newest one I have is a set of four cat paw prints on the outside of my right thigh.

**"So, that's thirteen tattoos, Sunny."**

She sat there thinking for a few moments, thinking. **"I also have five holes in my right ear and six in my left ear. I have had both my eyebrows pierced. And my bellybutton is pierced."**

**"Is there anything else?"** She shook her head. **"Okay. I need you to take out your bellybutton piercing. Unless you need some help, then you can wait until we get over to medical. Lets get you over to medical then. They can document all the tattoos and piercings."**

Without a thought, Sunny lifted her tee shirt, removed the small hoop with a rainbow ball and laid it on the table, with the rest of her things. **"Are my bags gonna be safe in here?"** She asked, pausing in the doorway and looking up at Peter.

**"Yes, the staff always locks the doors when we leave a room in this building."**

She nodded again and walked out. The visit to medical didn't take very long. At least to Sunny it didn't. All too soon she was following Peter back to the admit building. But they didn't go back into the same room as before, instead Peter opened the door to what looked like an office and nodded at Sunny. She walked in, and was surprised to find her bags in there already.

**"What the hell?"** She cried out. **"You said my bags would be safe. But clearly they weren't, since they were moved!"**

**"Calm down Sunny."** He stood at the doorway, just in case something happened.** "I had Sophie move your bags from the admit room to my office. It would be easier to just take them from here to your dorm, then having to walk to the admit room and then to the dorm."**

**"Fine."** She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.** "Just would have been nice to know about ahead of time." **She sat down, crossing her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair.

Peter shut the door and sat behind his desk.** "I'm sorry for that Sunny."** He said, as he sat down her file. **"I would like to go over a few things before I set you up with your first week buddy."** She shrugged. **"Besides the tattoos and piercings, there are notes are several scares. Do you want to talk about them?"**

**"Why should I? I skateboard, surf, ride my bike and I was learning to rock climb. I enjoy being outside, and doing different things. I get banged up, patch it up and move on."**

Peter nodded and jotted down a couple short notes. **"I'm going to put you in the Cliffhangers group. And I'll have Juilette be your first week buddy."** He grabbed his radio and asked Sophie to bring Juilette to his office. Less than five minutes later, there was a short knock on the door. **"Come in."** He called out. Sophie and Juilette walked in. **"Jules, this is Sunny. She's the newest Cliffhanger, and you're going to be her first week buddy."**

**"Sounds great Peter!"** The perky female said and then turned and smiled brightly at Sunny. **"Hi. I'm Jules, and we are going to have a lot of fun."**

Sunny raised an eyebrow and looked at Peter. The look on her face clearly stated that she thought everyone in the room was crazy, and needed to have their head looked at. With a sigh she stood up, grabbing her backpack and slipping it on. Without a word, she grabbed her two duffle bags and finally looked at Jules.** "Well, are you going to show me where I can put my stuff? I don't want to be lugging around the duffle bags all day."**

**"Sure. Do you want me to carry one?"** Jules asked as she stepped out of the office.

Sunny paused in the doorway and looked the taller girl up and down a couple of times before she shook her head. **"As nice as that would be, I don't think you could carry one. They are kinda heavy."**

**"Oh I'm sure I could carry one!"**

Sunny shrugged and handed over one of her duffle bags. Jules took it and took one step before she had to put it down. **"Maybe you should take it."** She said with a giggle.

**"Yeah."** Sunny said, as she slipped back on her shades, grabbed her duffle back and walked out into the sunshine.

Sophie watched the two females walk off and then looked back at Peter. **"So what you think of Sunny?"**

**"She has some walls up, like she's trying to hide something. But no drugs in her belongings."** Peter said, getting up from his desk and leaning against the front of it.** "She talks freely about some topics, but there are a few she won't talk about."** He paused and ran a hand over his face. **"In all, I think she'll be fine here. It might take her a bit of time to get use to being here, but that's everyone at first."**

Sophie nodded a few times as he spoke, but she kept her mouth closed until he was.** "So basically like most of the kids when they first get here?"**

**"No. She seemed happy to be here. She even told me she enjoys being outdoors, and trying new things."** Peter shook his head and pushed himself off of the desk. **"I doubt she'll run though. Come on. It's time for dinner." **


End file.
